"Au Revoir": Stefano Pilati pour YSL

On Monday, March 5, 2012, Stefano Pilati is leaving the house of Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), after showing the Fall/Winter 2012 collection in Paris.

Pilati has been the creative director of YSL since 2004, after working for Tom Ford (when Gucci Group acquired the house of YSL in 1993).

The company hasn't announced a successor yet, but will in the upcoming weeks.

Sources, ranging from Women's Wear Daily to The Wall Street Journal's "Heard On The Runway", predict that Hedi Slimane may return to YSL. Slimane designed the men's ready-to-wear (RTW) for the YSL brand in 1993, when Saint Laurent wanted to devote himself entirely to the haute couture line. After working for YSL, Slimane had reinvigorated the look of Dior Homme to an androgynous, modernist men's wear. After Slimane left Dior Homme in 2007, he has focused mainly on his photography.

*EDIT:

The last collection of YSL designed by Stefano Pilati (Women's Fall/Winter 2012 RTW) is available for view online on Style.com. The collection's summary/review, written by (fashion journalist & editor-at-large of Style.com) Tim Blanks, can be found on the site, as well as images of the new collection.

Also, Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at 7am, Style.com confirmed the rumors that Hedi Slimane is returning to design for YSL!

According to Style.com, Slimane will have "total creative responsibility for the brand image and all its collections," while he continues his work in photography.

François-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of YSL parent-company PPR, said, "As one of the most important French fashion houses, [YSL] today possesses formidable potential, which I am confident will be successfully harnessed and revealed through the vision of Hedi Slimane."

According to Fashionista, Slimane is expected to show a resort collection for the house of YSL in June 2012.

FYI: This will be Slimane's first time designing a women's-wear collection!

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Images from Style.com

YSL: Moroccan Passion

Janelle Monae's song "Mushroom & Roses" is featured in the new Yves Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2011 advertising campaign video.

The video, filmed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin features the beautiful "of the moment" model Arizona Muse in the gardens of Bled Roknine, a 30's style villa in Marrakech.

Arizona Muse is one of the top new faces of the year (along with Fashionista.com's "most buzzed about models of the year") and this is her first major advertising campaign - a huge deal since it's YSL!

Yves Saint Laurent's connection to Morocco is well known: the late designer bought the Majorelle botanical gardens and adjoining villa in Marrakech, with his partner Pierre Bergé, in 1980. The gardens served as a source of inspiration to Yves Saint Laurent, and his ashes were scattered there when he died in 2008.

According to Women's Wear Daily (WWD) - The campaign will run concurrently with an exhibition of Saint Laurent’s Moroccan-inspired designs at the Jardin Majorelle, due to end mid-March. Bergé last month published “Yves Saint Laurent, une passion marocaine,” an illustrated book detailing his life with Yves Saint Laurent in Morocco.

Check out the exquisitely executed YSL Spring/Summer 2011 advertising campaign video here: 

A few images from the Yves Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2011 advertising campaign:

I really adore Arizona Muse's hairstyle and there's an interesting read on RealNob about the advertising "trends" of Spring/Summer 2011 ad campaigns.

Christopher Lee Sauvé Strikes Again

Remember those infamous "Save Anna" t-shirts?

Well, New York City based artist and fashion impresario, Christopher Lee Sauvé has launched a new collection of hand-painted graphic t-shirts for the new year featuring new mantras ranging from "Fuck The Recession" to "Print Is Dead".

One of my favorites from the new collection would definitely be the t-shirt in memory of Yves Saint Laurent:

I'll forever adore monsieur Yves Saint Laurent because of the ideal he enraptures and I strongly believe in the elegant, stylish grandeur he set forth in the world of fashion.

Another favorite of mine from the collection would be the "God Save The Queen" t-shirt, featuring Anna Wintour (editor-in-chief of American Vogue):


I love satire and the fact that it's a black tee!

You can check out the entire collection, where to purchase the graphic tees as well as previous work by Christopher Lee Sauvé on his official site: http://www.chrissauve.com/

Also, feel free to follow Chris Sauvé via Twitter: http://twitter.com/chrissauve
and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=christopher+sauve&init=quick#/pages/Christopher-Sauve/45096703519
After all, social networking is the future and you'll surely want to be updated on the newest merchandise!